Archive for September, 2016

Holland America Line turns its culinary programming up a notch with the introduction of dynamic shipboard cooking shows produced in partnership with the long-running public television show America’s Test Kitchen, the most popular how-to-cook show on TV. Holland America Line is a sponsor of America’s Test Kitchen on public television, and is proud to make this experience possible at sea. The initiative was announced today in New York City at a press conference at the prestigious Institute of Culinary Education.

Holland America Line’s shipboard Culinary Arts Center will be transformed to replicate the television set where the prominent America’s Test Kitchen TV shows are recorded for broadcast by more than 350 public television stations nationwide. Designed specifically for Holland America Line, the shipboard shows will be hosted by Holland America Line chefs trained by America’s Test Kitchen culinary experts. Shipboard cooking demonstrations and hands-on workshops — with topics ranging from shaping Asian dumplings to making the perfect pie crust — will combine foolproof, accessible recipes and cooking techniques that are rooted in the rigorous testing and science-based approach of America’s Test Kitchen.

In addition, Holland America Line guests will experience 24-hour access to episodes of America’s Test Kitchen and Cook’s Country television programs in their staterooms.

“America’s Test Kitchen will bring a new take on cooking classes at sea that spans not only recipes but also the science of the cooking process. Its mission is to determine the best methods, ingredients and cooking tools — and now these discoveries will be shared with our guests,” said Orlando Ashford, president of Holland America Line. “We provide our guests with tremendously immersive and authentic experiences to enrich their travel, and America’s Test Kitchen’s commitment to delivering a quality culinary experience with a focus on learning is a perfect match.”

The planned 45-minute demo courses will feature a mix of video content, live instruction, taste tests and recipe samples. Some of the courses in development include Asian Dumplings, Salad for Two, We Love Chocolate, Everything Salmon, Getting to Know Chiles, Flavors of the Mediterranean, Meatless Monday Meals and New Italian Favorites.

Also planned are 90-minute workshops that focus on teaching a specific skill set. Proposed workshops include Perfect Pies and Handmade Pasta.

America’s Test Kitchen demo courses and workshops will begin aboard ms Westerdam October 18 for the ship’s Mexico season and on ms Nieuw Amsterdam November 13 for the Caribbean season. The program is expected to roll out fleetwide by June 2017.

“This is an incredible opportunity for fans of America’s Test Kitchen, and food lovers in general, to immerse themselves in the Test Kitchen experience,” said David Nussbaum, CEO of America’s Test Kitchen. “The classes on board Holland America Line ships will feature our famous foolproof recipes designed to be repeated and enjoyed long after the voyage has ended. We are excited that Holland America Line is helping America’s Test Kitchen reach more enthusiastic home cooks through this onboard experience.”

America’s Test Kitchen is a real place: a no-nonsense, fully equipped, 2,500-square-foot test kitchen located in Brookline, Massachusetts. A team of more than 50 highly qualified test cooks perform thousands of tests every year. The goal? To develop the best recipes and cooking techniques, to review and rate the best cookware and equipment, and to taste-test and recommend brand-name supermarket ingredients for

the home cook. Recipes are tested 30, 40 and sometimes as many as 70 times to arrive at the combination of ingredients, technique, temperature, cooking time and equipment that yields the best, most foolproof recipe.

Recipes and reviews are published in two magazines, Cook’s Illustrated and Cook’s Country, in a growing line of cookbooks and special interest magazines, and on the America’s Test Kitchen websites and through an instructional online Cooking School. They also are featured on two public television series: America’s Test Kitchen and Cook’s Country.

America’s Test Kitchen has earned the respect of the publishing world, the culinary world and millions of home cooks who trust its experts for tried and true advice on recipes, supermarket ingredients and cookware. Similarly, the new Holland America Line shipboard shows will present a combination of well-tested recipes using consumer-available ingredients with kitchen tips and advice on the brands of cookware, utensils and appliances America’s Test Kitchen’s experts have tried and recommend.

Culinary Excellence Shines in Partnerships

America’s Test Kitchen joins Holland America Line’s elite list of food and beverage collaborators who are the leading authorities in their fields. The esteemed Culinary Council is led by Holland America Line’s Master Chef Rudi Sodamin, who is joined by renowned international chefs Jonnie Boer, David Burke, Elizabeth Falkner and Jacques Torres. The line also has exclusive partnerships with Sushi Chef Andy Matsuda and Master Mixologist Dale “King Cocktail” DeGroff.

All prices are per guest and based on double occupancy. The “3 for Free” cruise sale is available now and runs through 11:59 p.m. PDT on November 16, 2016 and is available to residents of the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico, Mexico and Bermuda.

Additional information about Princess Cruises is available through a professional travel consultant, by calling 1-800-PRINCESS (1-800-774-6237), or by visiting the company’s website at princess.com.

Silversea, the leading ultra-luxury cruise line, today announced the appointment of Roberto Martinoli as Chief Executive, effective from September 19th.

Martinoli, Board Member of Silversea since 2013, becomes CEO after an extensive, and successful career in the cruise and shipping industry, “Roberto is a dedicated professional with a long track record of driving great companies to even higher heights. I am certain that he will be instrumental in pushing Silversea Cruises to consistently deliver unrivalled levels of luxury, service and business performance”, said Manfredi Lefebvre d’Ovidio, Executive Chairman of Silversea Cruises.

“I have known Manfredi for many years as a peer and a colleague, I have worked closely with the Silversea team in my role as a Board member for the past 4 years, and I am excited to have been given the opportunity to further develop my relationship with this fantastic brand as it enters this new phase of growth”, said Martinoli.

Based in the company’s headquarters in Monaco, he will report directly to Manfredi Lefebvre d’Ovidio, Executive Chairman of Silversea Cruises.

To support the increasing demand for Alaska summer cruises, Holland America Line is redeploying ms Oosterdam from Europe to The Last Frontier for the 2017 summer season. The addition brings the number of Holland America Line ships to seven in the region, with Oosterdam joining ms Amsterdam, ms Eurodam, ms Nieuw Amsterdam, ms Noordam, ms Volendam and ms Zaandam for a total of 135 Alaska departures, more than any other cruise line.

Seven is the lucky number in 2017, as the company will celebrate its 70th year exploring Alaska. New in 2017, Eurodam will replace ms Westerdam sailing from Seattle. The addition of another Signature Class ship means more new restaurants and venues will be available for guests to enjoy on Alaska sailings.

“Our award-winning Alaska cruises are at the heart of our global itineraries, and adding Oosterdam to the region in 2017 will allow even more guests to join in celebrating the exciting milestone of our 70th year in Alaska,” said Orlando Ashford, Holland America Line’s president. “As Seattle’s hometown cruise line, we’re thrilled to be sailing three ships from our local home port for the next Alaska season.”

Holland America Line will now offer 126 seven-day cruises and nine 14-day “Great Alaskan Explorer” sailings that begin in late April and run through late September. Highlights include 46 seven-day cruises roundtrip from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, on Nieuw Amsterdam, Volendam, Noordam and Zaandam. In addition, Noordam and Zaandam each will sail 18 one-way alternating north-south seven-day cruises between Vancouver and Seward, Alaska.

Oosterdam is slated to sail 21 seven-day cruises roundtrip from Seattle, Washington, from April through September. Eurodam will depart Seattle on 22 roundtrip seven-day cruises, while Amsterdam is scheduled to sail one seven-day itinerary from Seattle followed by nine 14-day Great Alaskan Explorer voyages.

Oosterdam’s seven-day roundtrip Seattle itineraries will call at Juneau, Sitka and Ketchikan, Alaska; and Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. Guests on board will enjoy scenic cruising in Puget Sound upon departing Seattle, as well as in Stephens Passage and Hubbard Glacier in Alaska.

Every itinerary is highlighted by scenic cruising of Alaska’s Inside Passage and one or more of Alaska’s famous glaciers and fjords. Whether it’s from a private verandah or out on deck, guests are in for a memorable view of Glacier Bay, Hubbard Glacier, Tracy Arm and/or the twin Sawyer Glaciers.

Guests Departing from Seattle Have a Choice of Glaciers
All Seattle departures include calls at Sitka; Ketchikan; Juneau; and Victoria, B.C., and guests choose between either Glacier Bay or Hubbard Glacier for their epic glacier experience. All Glacier Bay itineraries include park ranger and Huna native speaker presentations. This classic cruise maximizes the best of what Alaska has to offer and enables guests to enjoy some of the finest scenic cruising in the world.

Holland America Line Celebrates 70 Years as First in Alaska in 2017
In 2017 Holland America Line will celebrate 70 years of exploring Alaska. It all began in 1947 with a simple, spontaneous tour in Fairbanks and has grown into Holland America Line’s Alaska Land+Sea Journeys that the company features today. The anniversary will be marked with special celebrations throughout the year that will be announced at a later date.

Land+Sea Journeys Combine an Alaska Cruise with Overland Exploration
Holland America Line’s award-winning Land+Sea Journeys combine a three-, four- or seven-day Inside Passage or Glacier Discovery cruise with in-depth overland tours to the Yukon and Alaska’s interior. Holland America Line is the only cruise company to weave must-see sites such as Denali National Park — the centerpiece of every Land+Sea Journey — with seldom-seen ones such as Dawson City, in the heart of Klondike Gold Rush Country. Offering up to three days at Denali National Park for wildlife viewing and spectacular scenery, Land+Sea Journeys are designed to highlight the best of Alaska’s wilderness, wildlife, native culture and history.

Eurodam and Oosterdam Enhancements
Both Eurodam and Oosterdam recently have added Gallery Bar, a chic new venue that replaces Northern Lights; Lincoln Center Stage, in partnership with Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts; Billboard Onboard, in partnership with Billboard; and extensive new suite enhancements featuring new furniture, soft goods and entertainment systems as well as a full makeover in the bathrooms.

One word best sums up the culinary offerings that will be available to guests on board the luxurious brand new cruise ship Norwegian Joy when she starts sailing in June 2017: everything!

From Chinese hot pot, to sophisticated French haute cuisine, the freshest Japanese sushi to the highest quality American steaks and burgers, Norwegian Joy promises no less than 28 different food and beverage outlets on board – the widest array of dining experiences yet on any new ship that has been purpose built for China.

Every aspect of Norwegian’s new Breakaway-Plus Class vessel, which will start sailing from Shanghai on June 28, 2017, promises to be a ‘First Class at Sea’ experience, and central to this – of course – is the culinary program.

Unlike other cruise lines, Norwegian offers guests the flexibility to dine when they want, where they want, from a wide range of restaurants. Only Norwegian offers the flexibility of Freestyle dining, which means no fixed dining times or pre-assigned seating. And with so many purpose built restaurants from bow to stern, guests can enjoy more dining options than days of their cruise, whenever they like.

Norwegian Joy guests will be able to enjoy a wide range of complimentary dining options, while a host of additional premium dining experiences are also available at nominal extra cost.

Among the inclusive options is the Garden Café, which will offer breakfast, lunch and dinner. Here, guests can enjoy unlimited visits to a sumptuous buffet of international favorites. The diverse spread will feature classics of Chinese and Western cuisine as well as lively stations preparing dishes à-la-minute.

For a traditional dining experience Norwegian Joy’s elegant Manhattan Room will offer a vast selection of Chinese cuisine complemented by Western-style classics such as steaks and seafood.

The aptly named Savor and Taste restaurants will also serve a wide array of Chinese cuisine, from traditional to forward-thinking Chinese fusion cuisine with pronounced Korean and Japanese accents.

Among the premium offerings, Food Republic allows diners to take a culinary tour of the world without even entering a single port of call. An eclectic menu will draw inspiration from the flavors of Japan, and even such far-flung destinations as Peru. Here, guests can indulge in an extensive sushi selection and enjoy creative fusion dishes, like Food Republic’s signature hamachi taquitos.

Teppanyaki offers an authentic taste of East Asia. Here, guests can marvel at a Japanese hibachi cooking performance at their table. Diners also have the option of preparing their own meal with a selection of meats and fresh vegetables at Hot Pot restaurant Sakura & Hibiscus or Korean barbecue table. For fresh hand-pulled Chinese noodles and exquisitely crafted dim sum, there is the Noodle Bar.

The American dining options range from a sophisticated steakhouse to a classic and casual diner. Guests on Norwegian Joy will be able to experience both offerings onboard. Cagney’s Steakhouse will feature premium cuts, like tender filet mignon and succulent bone-in rib eyes, as well as other classic chops, like rack of lamb. All of which can be enjoyed with classic steakhouse sides, like asparagus with hollandaise sauce or truffled French fries. Meanwhile, American Diner promises the best in American comfort, from meatloaf and potpies, to burgers and fried chicken.

The azure Pacific waves that carry Norwegian Joy from port to port will no doubt induce in passengers’ craving for fresh fish, which can be satisfied at Neptune’s. This seafood specialty restaurant will feature a stunning buffet of fresh seafood, both chilled and raw, on ice. Guests can enjoy an expertly prepared catch from Neptune’s à la carte menu, too.

Italian and French are among the best cuisines that Europe has to offer, and Norwegian Joy will allow guests to indulge. La Cucina will specialize in a mix of contemporary Italian pastas and handmade gnocchi, along with meat and seafood dishes, while Le Bistro will serve the most refined French cuisine on the high seas.

For those with a sweet tooth, TheBake Shop is certain to quell those cravings. This boutique bakery will offer a tantalizing variety of handmade baked goods, like cupcakes, macarons, chocolate pralines, and Japanese mocha sweets, to name a few.

Finally, for liquid refreshments, Norwegian Joy will be flush with options. Venues like The Grand Tea Room will serve high-end loose leaf teas from China along with elegant snacks and high tea-style finger foods to savor on a leisurely afternoon.

Oenophiles on board can quench their thirst at La Cave. French for “The Cellar”, La Cave is Norwegian Joy’s source for fine wines and spirits. Guests can enjoy a glass of world-class wine or whiskey at the bar and, if they taste anything they like, they can make a retail purchase to take home with them after the cruise. After a leisurely drink or two, they may wish to retire to Humidor, Norwegian Joy’s exclusive cigar lounge to relax in style.

And for guests who wish to enjoy a handcrafted cocktail, options abound, from martinis and manhattans at Mixx Bar, pre-dinner drinks at Prime Meridian, refreshing frozen poolside cocktails at Spice H20, and specialty coffees and teas at Atrium Bar.

As part of a new multi-ship order announced today by Carnival Corporation & plc, Carnival Cruise Line is scheduled to take delivery of two new 180,000 gross-registered-ton cruise ships in 2020 and 2022 which will be the largest in the fleet of the world’s most popular cruise line. Both ships will be powered by Liquefied Natural Gas under Carnival Corp.’s exclusive “green cruising” design and will mark the first time an LNG-powered cruise ship is based in North America.

The two ships, with an approximate passenger capacity of 5,200 based on double occupancy, are being constructed by Finnish shipbuilder Meyer Turku at the company’s Turku, Finland shipyard. The agreement represents a return to shipbuilding in Finland for Carnival Cruise Line for the first time in 12 years. The company has 12 ships in its current fleet that were constructed in Finland, including its eight Fantasy-class ships and four Spirit-class ships.

“This new ship order signifies an extraordinarily exciting future for Carnival Cruise Line and the opportunities that lie ahead to introduce a variety of magnificent new features and innovations to further enhance our outstanding guest experience,” said Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line. “We are also thrilled to be introducing Carnival Corporation’s ‘green cruising’ design platform to North America. Both of these ships will be fully powered at sea and in port by Liquefied Natural Gas, which is the world’s cleanest burning fossil fuel. These ships are being designed for maximum energy efficiency and environmental friendliness,” Duffy added.

Specific design details and itinerary information for the new ships will be announced at a later time.

Carnival Cruise Line, a unit of Carnival Corporation & plc, presently operates a fleet of 25 ships. In addition to the two new ships announced today, the 133,500-ton Carnival Horizon is under construction in Italy and set to debut in 2018.